New Jefferson County school policies next year

[AAT53]

So far, I have heard of two:

1. Early dismissals. They will keep track of the actual time missed from school and once it equals a day then the kid is marked as absent for one day.

2. They will only accept 5 parental "excuse" notes per year for absences. So, after that if there isn't a doctors note then it is an "unexcused absence" no matter the reason.

I have not seen anything in writing, but I was told about both policies from people who work at the BOE.

[caroline]

That sounds really harsh.What about family vacations etc. ?

[AAT53]

That sounds really harsh.What about family vacations etc. ?

You take them at your own risk I guess.

I'm wondering how the early release thing will work out. For example, say Johnny has had a few doctor appointments (or whatever) and has now officially missed one days worth of hours (6 I'm guessing because of time for lunch and recess). So, that becomes an absence. Does that require a parental note and if it does would that count towards the 5 allowed per school year?

[LFE]

Its really sad that they do not take into consideration:
- getting the assigned work done and handed in.
- current grades.
- history of attendance.

[derricksonb]

Oh well.... Guess my kids are going to have quite a few unexcused absences over the course of their time in JeffCo schools. I really don't see where time in class is that important so long as the student turns in all required work and passes tests and exams. I think the harsher attendence policies have to do with the amount of federal funding they receive being based on student attendence which is not really a "my problem" so much as it is a "their problem." We will continue scheduling vacations throughout the school year(s) and will pull our kids out for doctors appointments (I'm assuming these will be excused with a note) as WE see fit.

[lar]

Like I've said before my kids have gotten a letter before for 5 unexcused and I don't even know what that means exactly, I just look at it.

[derricksonb]

Like I've said before my kids have gotten a letter before for 5 unexcused and I don't even know what that means exactly, I just look at it.

We usually get those by the beginning of week3. To me it means nothing mopre than the JeffCo BOE has just wasted an envelope, stamp and two sheets of paper that will end up in the landfill to tell me something that I already know.

So what exactly happens if the child misses more than 10 days but has a 3.0+ GPA? Will JefCo really hold the student back based on days missed verses actual grades and understanding of the material? Sounds like another prime example of what happens when the federal government gets involved in funding local education. All of a sudden in order to continue receiving funds additional metrics become more important to local administrators than the actual quality of education.Yet another reason why No Child Left Behind is a failed and worthless program to taxpayers.

[Neophyte Man]

I really don't see where time in class is that important so long as the student turns in all required work and passes tests and exams.
Yeah good point, most home school folks don't have all the fluff the public schools put in the school hours, there is a lot of wasted time in school I think.
Just fluff/time fillers. We will have more unexcused than they allow I am sure of that.
I am not going to take my children into the Dr. for a stomach ache or something like that every time just to get a Dr. note. $15 co pay plus gas.

[Neophyte Man]

Like I've said before my kids have gotten a letter before for 5 unexcused and I don't even know what that means exactly, I just look at it.

We usually get those by the beginning of week3. To me it means nothing mopre than the JeffCo BOE has just wasted an envelope, stamp and two sheets of paper that will end up in the landfill to tell me something that I already know.
When we first got those I went frantic but then came to understand like derrickson just pointed out here. What a waste is right.

[jenentonik]

Yep I got one of those nasty-grams too. My son has missed 3 total days of school all year, was late twice by like a half hour and got picked up two times about a half hour early. Bring it on BOE. Thats nothing compared to some students I know!

[AAT53]

It seems as though they believe parents aren't capable of parenting.

Actually, I think it comes down to what most stuff in this country does: We can't be bothered to deal directly with the problem individuals, so we shall punish all.

FWIW, after the 10 absences letter you get one to go to a meeting at the school. Someone from the school board comes down and asks what the absences are for, how the kid is doing in school, etc. Then you get a piece of paper they filled out with the info.

I had to do it this year. My DS has had a virus two times (once causing him to miss school for an entire week), missed 5 days (not all at once) due to our travelling somewhere and then 9 days because of just random fevers. I asked the doctor about it and basically he just had a rough winter dealing with illness.

The funny thing is the days that were covered by doctor notes were not listed as such. Why bother requiring those notes if you aren't even going to use them..

Now, I don't know if that will change with the new rules.

[derricksonb]

It seems to me as though the county needs to implement a time and attendance database that could accurately reflect the times in which a child arrives at the school and at which time the child leaves for the day. This is similar to many college classrooms which have the students swipe a card upon entering the class (allegedly) and once again upon leaving. Each card has a unidue identifier which when swiped equals a 1 that logs the students in as "present" or no login registers as a 0 or "not present." A doctors note presented to the office admin, would allow the flag at each local database to be reset to "excused absence" before being uploaded to the mainframe at the BOE. This type of system would also allow parents to be able to login remotely, track their childs attendence throughout the day, week, semester or year, and allow for more involvement and present the opportunity for more interaction with teachers and administrative staff at the local school level and also at the BOE.

[lar]

In middle school they do track the kids by class, I am not really sure if all teachers do it, but I know a lot of my kids teachers do, I can see if they are tardy to class and my one daughter is always tardy to 5th period because of her gabbing.

We are all elementary parents so the absences probably don't mean as much as when the kids get into the older grades and go in one door and out the other. I am starting to see a trend of kids in upper middle school who appear to "not feel like going to school today".

[Kensey]

9 days

"Nine times?"
"Nine times.
...I've got it right here in front of me. He has missed nine days... GRACE!!!!!!!!"

[LFE]

If a doctors note is all it takes... then I think I'll get a doctor friend of mine to write the kids next out for vacation note for us :-)

[spatulagirl]

Yeah good point, most home school folks don't have all the fluff the public schools put in the school hours, there is a lot of wasted time in school I think.
Just fluff/time fillers. We will have more unexcused than they allow I am sure of that.
I am not going to take my children into the Dr. for a stomach ache or something like that every time just to get a Dr. note. $15 co pay plus gas.

We do an hour or so a day and my son and daughter are on par with their peers. We do it all year round though because I don't want them forgetting stuff over the summer.

[lar]

School isn't all about schoolwork, it is about interaction time, as bad as that concept may be sometimes, that's what keeps the kids learning and wanting to go to school. If I was homeschooling I would feel as if I was depriving my kids of their childhood. That's me though because I know a lot of mom's on here who are excellent and imaginative at it, but personally I couldn't do it.